The Institute for Popular Education was founded in 1992 to build on popular education traditions developed in Latin America, particularly the work of Paulo Freire and Augusto Boal. The program uses popular education methods in classes and workshops to provide activists with basic analytical tools, help them examine organizing strategies in a larger context, build leadership skills, deepen awareness of the issues affecting New Yorkers on a daily basis, and increase their involvement in the political life of the city.